“So Nomeka fell that easily? Are the dark clouds in the sky a meteorological method to block guided weapons? From tonight onward, the Nomeka family will exist in name only. Will the Royal Court of Astralis officially begin its assault on the sixteen Grand Duke families?”

  Somewhat surprised and skeptical, Alice questioned Grand Duke Klein in front of her.

  The explanation she had just heard still seemed a bit confusing to her.

  According to history books, weren’t the Council of Nobles and the Royal Court of Astralis supposed to be, since ancient times, a perfect government, “unified since antiquity”?

  How could such a vast empire, large enough to rule an entire star system, now suddenly start a civil war without warning?

  However, regardless of how the girl viewed the situation, facts were facts.

  Faced with the rather naive doubts of the “magical girl,” Klein, with a bitter smile, chose to explain things directly:

  “There’s no point in lying about this sort of thing. After all, if nothing goes wrong, by tomorrow morning you’ll already see the news about the imperial forces entering Nomeka... In truth, children your age should be able to understand that politics is often far more complex than the black-and-white pages of history books. As the current head of the Nomeka family, I can say with full responsibility: since the founding of the Astralis Empire, the power struggle between the Council of Nobles and the Royal Court has never ceased. The famous rebellion of Grand Duke Vermont was a failed attempt by the Council of Nobles. And now... in our generation, Her Majesty, the ambitious Queen of Astralis, seems ready to make a major move.”

  Sitting on the couch in Thalia’s house as if it were his own, Klein took a glass of water.

  As he spoke, his voice took on a tone of helplessness and melancholy.

  It was evident that, for a man who once held absolute power but was now forced to flee his own home alone, the advance of the imperial troops was, without a doubt, a painful nightmare.

  “The Royal Court of Astralis has surely allied with some idiotic, shortsighted, and arrogant dukes. We, Nomeka and Eronis, were the first to be served at the feast... Pathetic, isn’t it? The rebels are still growing on the edges of the system like celery stalks that won’t stop sprouting, and Astralis starts a brutal civil war?"

  "Alright, I’ll admit it. Our queen is indeed cunning. She managed to turn my brother against me, the one who would never accept being beneath anyone else, and with his hands, deceived the Council of Elders and me, seizing control of most of Nomeka’s armed forces. Now... the Nomeka family is finished, isn’t it? But I’m curious to see whether, after one Grand Duke has fallen, Astralis will be able to deal with the next target as easily.”

  Crack.

  A crack formed in the glass. Without realizing it, Klein had squeezed it so tightly that it broke, suppressing his internal rage.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  It was clear that, faced with the destruction of his family, this Grand Duke of Nomeka was far from as calm as he appeared. He also felt anger, frustration, even though there was nothing he could do about it...

  But regardless of how Klein felt at that moment, Alice had no interest whatsoever in the political struggles between Nomeka and the Royal Court of Astralis.

  So, even understanding what was going on, with a cold expression and holding the remaining piece of pineapple pie, she asked indifferently:

  “So? You, this deposed king, came here for what? Want me to help you restore your regime like in the manga? Think badmouthing Astralis will erase my hostility toward the Nomeka family? As far as I know, the ones who captured the ‘Lantern’ and sold out my father were from your family, weren’t they?”

  “I swear that all of it was the work of my traitorous brother, Kastiel, from beginning to end. I truly didn’t know anything. And during all this time, even knowing you were here, I never used violence to threaten Miss Thalia, that already proves I have no ill intentions, doesn’t it? As for the reason I’m here... To be honest, all of my personal bodyguards died protecting my escape. Now, as a fugitive wanted by the empire, I need someone powerful enough to face the military and help me capture a flying warship to escape the planet Nomeka, that’s the reason I came here in the middle of the night. I need your help, Miss Alice. You’re my last chance to escape with my life.”

  Sincerely explaining his intentions, Klein spoke with a seriousness that left no room for mockery.

  After all, he really was here to ask for help, and upon mentioning the death of his entire personal guard, an indescribable flash of sadness passed through his eyes.

  Without a doubt, Klein, now without family or allies, was one step away from becoming a completely solitary man.

  “...”

  “Alright then. Let’s suppose everything you said is true. But why should I help someone who stole my pineapple pie? What’s in it for me?”

  Frowning and looking at the young noble, Alice kept an extremely calm tone.

  And fighting the army was a dangerous thing.

  She and the Grand Duke of Nomeka weren’t even friends.

  Helping without any reason was not the style of a “magical girl” who values the “spirit of contract.”

  “Good question. To win the help of an ‘Entropist’, of course I came with good cards in hand. Hm... I can help you leave the planet Nomeka. I can take you to a very reliable rebel group. I can also offer you a shortcut to get revenge on the Royal Court of Astralis. How about that offer? With my arrival, you must have realized that your movements are completely exposed to satellite surveillance. If you stay in territory under Astralis control, you’ll only bring endless disaster to your friends.”

  Faced with doubt, Klein confidently listed everything this “fugitive” could offer.

  Especially upon seeing Thalia’s confused expression, standing in the room not knowing what to do, the young noble’s words gained even more persuasive power.

  With high-tech satellites tracking everything, it wasn’t realistic for a girl to hide alone in any city.

  Maybe Nisha’s power could guarantee Alice’s safety, but her friends around her would no longer be reliable and would always be in danger.

  Such a life would be very difficult, wouldn’t it? At that point, the Duke of Nomeka had indeed struck at Alice’s greatest fear.

  And, to make his proposal even more tempting, Klein didn’t forget to use the girl’s hatred to tilt the balance in his favor.

  So, while Alice still hesitated in silence, Nomeka’s determined gaze resumed speaking without pause:

  “Oh, and my brother Kastiel is an extremely arrogant guy. As the victor of this conflict, he’ll surely come in person to capture me. If you come with me, there’s a good chance we’ll encounter that ambitious bastard. At that moment, you won’t just be able to kill him and take the first step of your revenge, you’ll also be able to ask him which imperial officer he sold the ‘Lantern’ information to. It’s the perfect trap, isn’t it? You should know that Kastiel’s whereabouts are extremely secret. If you miss this chance, not even I his brother will be able to find him again.”